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ADA 90P Iwugami (56K Warning) Updated 5/16/2013

74K views 295 replies 52 participants last post by  styxx 
#1 · (Edited)
Well I have decided to take the plunge. I have begun yet another tank and this time it's to be a ADA 90P. I wish that I had the $ for the 120, but for now a 90P will have to suffice. Please note, I have switched to an Iwugami style as of 7/27/2012! So here are the specs and photos to follow:

Flora
Anubias Barteri Nana Planted
Microsorum pteropus Needle Leaf Planted
Lilaeopsis mauritiana Planted

Fauna
Cardinia Japonica Arrived
Otocinclus Affinis Arrived
Harlequin Rasboras Arrived
Assassin Snails Arrived

Equipment
Fluval G6
Hydor 300W Heater
5Lb. CO2 w/Milwaukee Regulator, Solenoid & Bubble counter
GLA Atomic+ CO2 Diffuser - with Check Valve - 75mm
GLA (Cal Aqua Labs) Glass Lily In/Outflow Pipes
2 x 30W Growbeam 1000ND, 6500K LED Tile
EchoTech Vortech MP10
ADA: Iron Long Bottom, Multi-Bottom Long, Tourmaline BC, ECA, Phyton-Git, Brighty-K, Brighty Lights, Step 1-2-3,
45Lbs. Seriyu Stone (not cheap )
60Lbs. Seachem Fluorite Black

And without further delay:
















 
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#189 ·
Hahaha. Well it does make the picture very cloudy and the water is actually quite clear. I love that Purigen! To be honest @marko@, I don't know where to go from here! Of course I'm going to do a big trim, but I also need to figure out (a) if I should leave this current scape alone and let it mature or (b) do something more with the background? I have a love/hate relationship with the needle leaf Java fern. I seems to enjoy throwing off plantlets and it becomes irritating after a while and makes the plant look messy. But generally its a very nice plant. SMH. Anyway, thanks for the kind words...I'm going to try and post some better pictures in the future with the CO2 off. :redface:
 
#192 ·
Pre Christmas Trim!

Well I finally could stand it no more and did a hack job on everything. I noticed that I had begun seeing some algae on the NLJ and chopped it off, and after consulting the sage wisdom of my friends a AquaForest Aquarium, realized that I had been under dosing K by half! OMG! So I doubled up on it and lo and behold the NLF started pearling. Plus I bumped up the CO2 a little. Finally the lilaeopsis got a haircut and I cleaned out a bunch of detritus in the substrate (not as much as I'd like but it was a serious cleaning) and then did a 70% water change. Boy do things look better now! I've been trying to get my hot little hands on a bunch of NLJ but so far - nothing. It's dry out there for this plant! So I'm going to plant a bunch of c. Parva between the lilaeopsis and my seriu stones to create a better sense of a mid-ground, along with some more anubias nana and maybe coffefolia (for between the rocks) and perhaps some another low profile plant. Any suggestions (if anyone is actually reading this anymore, lol)??!! I was getting kind of tired of the lack of dynamism in this layout so more plants are on order for 2013!! I've also decided to treat myself and buy the multicontroller for my lights which will eliminate the clutter of power bricks and cables substantially. It is entirely over priced IMHO but hey, I deserve it. Hahaha.

Of course what would any update be without photographs!? As you can see I'm still terrible at photography and the damned lilaeopsis keeps switching from yellowish to darker green whenever I zoom in (where it shows its true, darker green color). I need to get me a smokey or black background I think? The FTS:


And of course a close up of the hack job:
 
#195 ·
Beautiful tank, nice work on challenging carpet. I did a Parva carpet that took 2 years to get it from bad to acceptable to impressive. The patience thing is hands down the toughest part of the game.

I am to planning launch either a 90p or a 75p in the not so distant future. In some of your previous posts you seem to feel that a single GRO beam 1000 did not give adequate coverage with your 90p. In your opinion would a single tile drive the slightly smaller 75p properly for "high light". I am an experienced high tech tank guy, so I'm not intimidated by "big" lights (ah, the algae wars I have fought...), but I would love to nail either of these tanks spot on with a great led system.

Thanks for any feedback you can provide.
 
#197 · (Edited)
I think that to get the spread of light, it was necessary to use two tiles, as well as to have that extra amount of light just in case I needed it (for HC, Glosso, etc.) in the future. Now, given that the 75P and the 90P are both the same height that becomes an important factor when assessing PAR at the substrate level. And added to that is the fact that the 75P is 6" smaller in length, that too is another important factor when considering spread. I think one tile would be sufficient, though if you want extra light "just in case" you can always add another one, but one should be sufficient. Really I could have gotten away with one, provided that the edges on the left and right of the aquarium had slow growing, low light plants like Java ferns, etc. But I too have always been a "high light" guy and like to have that extra power. Of course these things are NOT cheap, but they more than do the job. I've reduced my lighting intensity down some after the hack job just to let the plants recover and they're observably doing quite well. So even at 50% intensity each, having two (doesn't double the intensity, as they don't overlap the way they're spaced) of them are still quite effective.

Keep in mind one important thing - LED lighting is NOT what your eyes are used to seeing. You will probably think that they're dim, until after a few days of seeing them at work and eventually your eyes will adjust and you'll realize that it is different but still "bright". And finally, a word of caution - don't let these LED fixtures fool you; you must have a reliable and constant source of CO2. The GrowBeam 1000's are unusually effective at what they do, and thus having constant CO2 saturation is really important, otherwise it will be algae hell. I've been in this hobby for a long time (almost a decade?) and I have to say that I was a hard core CFL and T8 man myself, but ever since switching to LEDs I'll never go back. Period. I hope that this helps with your decision?!?
 
#203 ·
Its a big aquarium, and heavy (you would do well to have two people to carry it as it weights over 100lbs). The construction is top notch as to be expected with all ADA products and so far I'm in love with all the space that it affords the hobbyist. Of course now I want a 120P but don't know if I'll ever be able to afford that monster, lol. Get one and you will not be disappointed! :icon_mrgr
 
#210 ·
Oh wow, that's a nice price. :eek: I paid around $250 each I think! But they do not come with the multicontroller (which is worth buying, though not its price) which does allow you to connect 4 x 1000 ND tiles simultaneously, go from 1% to 100% in increments of 1, while also having an integrated timer. I'm buying one though I hate the idea of the price for doing so...

Lfs not life ..... Haha

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Yep, gottcha. :icon_lol:
 
#215 ·
Ah, so you know someone who can speak to their efficacy, that's great. I'm sure he enjoys his LED fixtures too? What kind of substrate are you using? I've written extensively on the plant under the Plant section of the forum; use the search for lilaeopsis and you should find a few threads where I discuss the plant in much more detail if you want additional information. :icon_cool
 
#219 · (Edited)
Background completed!

Well I have finally added the rest of the NLJF to the back of the aquarium (Big thanks to h4n). I also added about 20 Harlequin Rasboras and 7 Oto cats. I think I'm going to buy another 20 Rasboras before its all said and done. at the moment, I'm still trying to figure out a transition plant between my foreground and the stones, but I may just opt for some crypts. Anyone got any ideas, let me know! In the interim, I'm waiting for some peat to arrive from Amazon.com, as I've decided to try to soften my water and lower the pH to be more in line with the conditions that my fish normally prefer in their native environment.

Check out the new FTS:
 
#223 ·
Thanks Another Hobby; that grass took a lot of patience to cultivate, lol.

looking good styxx.
if you want a crypt midground, maybe get some green gecko? i never thought this plant was too impressive, but then i saw it in person and changed my mind. i love the little blush in the leafs center. might look nice in there.
Marko, I'm definitely considering including Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green or some green gecko. Can you send me a picture of yours? I'm a little worried about crypt melt and the time it would take for the plants to recover. But I really am starting to get some crypts in here somewhere. In the mean time I'm going to get some Anubias coffeefolia, anubias nana petitte and another large Seriyu stone to break up the monotony of the midground.

Wish my tank looked that good ATM

But my grates are through the roof at this point in time

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Well it just takes time, patience and money. But what do you mean your "grates" are through the roof, lol??
 
#221 ·
looking good styxx.
if you want a crypt midground, maybe get some green gecko? i never thought this plant was too impressive, but then i saw it in person and changed my mind. i love the little blush in the leafs center. might look nice in there.
 
#227 ·
Thanks for helping a brother out!! :proud:

that micro sword is killin it in the front
Yeah, Manzpants92, it does look pretty sweet doesn't it!? Hahaha. If you've read the journal it sure took its sweet time. When I read back over the course of this project and see how that foreground started, I must say I'm pretty proud. But there's still more to do to make this a truly stunning aquarium! On to the midground plants now...
 
#229 ·
Here are two shots up close of the kids playing...




and my micro-diffuser / MP10 running on the left hand side of the aquarium. Please excuse the dirty glass, pump, lily pipes, etc. I don't usually do maintenance or water changes until Sunday. One of my very greedy Otos loves hanging out by the pump/CO2 diffuser for some reason (you would think they'd suffocate that close, but this pervert never goes anywhere else - at least when the lights are on and I can see him, lol).

 
#233 ·
Thanks!



Thanks Tom. I agree, I have to get something to break up the transition between the back NLJF and the foreground carpet. I'm strongly leaning towards some type of crypt, but at this stage I've yet to commit to anything, since I've never used them in anything for fear of crypt melt (after spending a lot of $ on plants just to see them 'die').

this tank reminds me of seagrass seabed. nice man!!!
Microswords is so underused. Look amazing! Well done.
Thanks, I agree, that microswords are really underused, but I suspect that the main reason is that they're so damn difficult to grow at any really observable speed. I think most people wouldn't even consider planting a plant (for a foreground cover no less) with the expectation that they'd have to wait a minimum of 3 months before seeing any really observable progress. But that is precisely what it takes even in what I think have been optimal conditions in my aquarium. Although what you see appears to be a very thick carpet, it actually isn't as thick as I want it to be and I suspect that it will take another three months to get there. Lots and lots of patience is the key with this plant...
 
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